Pages

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Most of you who read this already know that I started writing a column for O'Fallon Patch. What is Patch.com? Well, Patch is an online news site that is dedicated to bringing the local news right to you. And by local, I mean really local. The editors at Patch.com work their tails off staying up to date and current with what is happening in your town. I first heard about Patch over the summer when our cousin, Brian Feldt, accepted the job as the Patch editor in Bolingbrook, IL. Then a few months later, my dear friend Alyssa Stahr became the Pacth editor for Oakville, MO.

So, when I received a phone call from the O'Fallon Patch editor, Jordan Lanham, I jumped at the opportunity to write a mom column. I've always been the type of mom who will "tell you like it is" so the title of my column is "Real Mom from O'Fallon." I will try to "keep it real" all the time, especially since there seems to be some unwritten rule that as mothers we are supposed to have it all together, all the time. I'm not sure who came up with that, but seriously, NO ONE has it all together all the time! We all yell at our kids, we all forget the lunch, library book or snack from time to time, and we all certainly have moments when we question why we became mothers in the first place. But then, one of our precious children will smile at us, hug us or just say "I love you Mommy" and we remember exactly why we had kids.

My goal with the column is to break down the mommy barriers. Whether you work at home, outside the home, married, divorced, single...the column is for you. I want to dispel the myth of the mommy competition and show a more vulnerable side to myself and to being a mom in general. What is that old saying, We may not have it all together, but together we have it all. Fellow Moms, it's time to unite! All for One and One For All!!!

Look for my column every Wednesday, and while you over at O'Fallon Patch be sure to register and leave a comment. I encourage your feedback. And if you have an idea for a column, let me know, I'd love to hear from you, Lastly, if you are looking for info on your community, check out Patch .com and see if Patch is your neighborhood.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Wow, another year has come and gone. I know I've been horrible at updating this blog, but I'm hoping 2011 will be the year that I can stick with it!Usually at this time of the year, everyone is so focused on looking ahead that it is easy to overlook all of the accomplishments of the past year.So, as we embark on 2011, let’s take a minute to look back on 2010.Personally for me, 2010 was a pretty great year.In January 2010, I set 3 goals for myself.I really don’t like the term “resolution” because that has such a finite meaning. A goal on the other hand is something that I can constantly be working towards.So my 3 goals of 2010 were: 1) to finish the Go! St. Louis ½ Marathon, 2) To watch less TV and to read more, and 3) To spend more time playing with my boys, which meant not focusing so much on housework.

Well how did I fare?Not only did I finish the Go! St. Louis ½ Marathon, but I also ran the Lewis and Clark ½ Marathon!I logged over 500 miles in running alone in 2010.Not too bad for someone who just started running a little over a year ago. This was not without difficulty, though.I ended up getting 2 cortisone shots and underwent 6 weeks of physical therapy to achieve that goal.It was totally worth it though! As for #2, I read 20 books in 2010.That is almost one book every two weeks.As for the amount of time I spent watching TV, well, I can’t say that I succeeded in that area.Thanks to FINALLY getting a DVR this past Fall, I’m pretty sure the amount of TV I watched increased significantly from October to the end of the year, which ironically is when my reading tapered.Coincidence?And finally #3, spending more time playing with my boys.For someone with a Type A personality, I thrive on organization.And for me, a clean house is an organized house.However, I didn’t want my boys to grow up thinking that I was too busy to play with them because I needed to “wash this” or “dust that.”Well, I have to say, by the way my house looked when the boys went back to school in August, I succeeded in my last goal! It took me weeks of cleaning and organizing to get the house back to normal, but the hours of fun I had with my boys this summer I will treasure forever.

Now, as I look ahead to 2011, it’s time to set a few more goals for myself.I want to challenge all of you to do the same.I like to set 3 goals, one that will challenge me physically, one that will challenge me mentally and the last one that will benefit my family. Goal #1: This year I want to focus on eating better.I plan to do this by cooking more so my family is eating better.It’s time to ditch the drive thru!Last year I was able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted because I was running so much.I still plan on running, but I don’t see any long distance races in my future.My body doesn’t seem to fare well with the training.Goal #2:Spend less time on the computer.I love technology and all it affords, but come on; we all know that it can be a major time waster!I plan on using my extra time playing even more with my boys.Goal #3:Get back into scrapbooking.I didn’t scrapbook one page this year, not one!I have a closet full of scrapbooking supplies just waiting for me.I want to create heirlooms that my family will treasure for years.

So,I challenge you to set 3 goals for yourself this year.They don’t need to be anything over the top, just goals that are attainable and that will help you to be the best person you can be.I have one friend who made only one goal for herself this year, to reduce the amount of yelling she does at her kids! Whether you have one goal or ten this year, write them down and make an action plan of how you will attain them.Good luck and I can’t wait to hear all of YOUR success stories.Here’s to the best YOU in 2011!

What I'm Currently...

About Me

I am wife to Chris, mother to Joey and Andrew. I am on this journey called life with Christ in the driver's seat (although I tend to be the annoying backseat driver at times). I love spending time with my family and friends as well as a glass of wine and a good book!